Front Porch History

I don’t know how long the American passion for genealogy has been
going on, perhaps all the way back to the Pilgrims. I do know that
my great aunt Alyce spent years organizing the Maloney family tree
back to the 18th century when our ancestors came to America
from Ireland. It’s always interesting to know where your "people"
came from or exciting to find you are the descendant of someone
famous. Those passionate about studying their family genealogy are
looking for and sometimes finding more than just cold facts about
births, deaths, and marriages.

During a short visit to Auntie Alyce, my mother and I were regaled
with tale after tale of the past adventures, foibles, and triumphs
of the Maloney side of the family. It was especially interesting
to hear tales of my grandfather. He had died when my mother was
young. I know that the stories of her father gave her a more detailed
picture of the man he had been. Learning of the hardships faced
and overcome by those long ago Maloneys settling in America gave
me a sense that I come from hardy folks willing to work to make
their dreams a reality.

The stories were the best part of Alyce’s genealogy study. They
brought life to the pictures of stoic ancestors. Preserving those
family stories can be an important part of a homeschool family’s
history study. Fortunately, Tammy M. Cardwell had already put together
an inspiring and instructive book to help families collect and preserve
their family history. She calls it front porch history, the sharing
of stories from one generation to another passed on in storyteller
fashion at the close of a hard day’s work. She tells how the storytelling
tradition in her own family stopped with her grandfather and of
her own determination not to lose the stories he told preserving
them for her own children and generations to come. "Collecting
the stories became very important to me when I realized that persons
I’d been expecting to live forever could leave this earth tomorrow,
taking all of their precious memories with them. This spurred my
own writing and my determination to work with others. As a result,
my story collection grew from a few pages to a small book that I
hand-published and gave to my family. I could not bear the thought
of limiting the stories to my own children when so many others may
never have heard the tales."

In FrontPorch History: Researching and Telling Your Family’s
Stories, Tammy shares how you, too, can collect your own immediate
family stories and the family stories of your older relatives, and
create your own family history book. She gives complete instructions
for putting the book together and for compiling your own family
genealogy. She reviews many different products and resources useful
to this type of project including genealogy software, family history
and heritage books and kits, and bookmaking supplies and kits. A
section by Peggy Flint tells how to turn this project into a unit
study the whole family can participate in. Perhaps the most important
part of the book is the first chapter. Any project of this magnitude
requires inspiration and long term commitment. Chapter one serves
up a large dose of inspiration. The remainder of the book with all
its helps and resources including forms and worksheets provides
the hands on help needed to make the project a success. At $9.95
this is a must have book for all those interested in preserving
their family history.

FrontPorch History is available from Greenleaf Press, 1570
Old LaGuardo Road, Lebanon, TN 37087.

Extending its line of informative, easy-to-use guides on a variety
of historical topics, Greenleaf Press is pleased to publish this
friendly, stimulating guide to genealogical research. The author
shares the important lessons (and practical tips) she learned researching
her own family’s heritage. This book will walk you through
each step the author took in collecting and sharing her family’s
stories. It will take you even further as she talks about things
she has learned through the publication of a "family book."

The book is 80 pages, softbound. The ISBN is 1-882514-51-3. Retail
price is $9.95. Available at your local bookstore, or direct from
the publisher at 1-800-311-1508. Bookstore inquiries and STOP orders
welcomed.

Tammy Cardwell is a self-confessed bibliophile and eclectic personality.
She is a wife and the mother of two young men. Her interests and
tastes may shift without warning, but two things never change -
her love of her family and her appreciation of her heritage. Among
her greatest passions, these led her to collect her family stories
for her sons’ benefit and then to share those stories with
others when she realized how many of her relatives would appreciate
the gift. Writing and sharing are two of Tammy’s favorite occupations.
She is currently doing both as she co-edits The Eclectic Homeschool
Online and its print version sister, The Eclectic Homeschool.